I am an ordinary citizen hoping to make the world a better place but I really need your help. I have served as a Registered Nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 26 years and I learned a lot about health and sickness there in Baltimore. I wrote a free book about the War on Drugs and how it has made my hometown worse off. www.nursecallsforendofdrugwar.com As a nurse, I understand that cannabis has many beneficial medical properties. Would you please meet with me for a few moments so that I might personally express to you the urgent need to consider a different point of view, the view of a nurse? I am working to teach the public that America will become a stronger and better nation when we legalize cannabis for adults. It is a non-toxic medicinal plant which is far safer than alcohol by every measure. When “we the people” control it, we can keep the profits out of the hands of the drug cartels and keep it away from our youth. The economic benefits will allow us to better support our schools, our police, protect our environment and offer free treatment to those who need it.

I am writing to express my most sincere and heartfelt apology. I am very sorry that I might have added to your suffering, caused you pain, failed to help you. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know that I was actually hurting you and doing something that wouldn’t truly help or cure you. I was a nurse following doctors orders and I figured those people knew what they were doing when they 1) injected intrathecal chemotherapy into your child’s spinal fluid 2) removed both of your breasts because of a cancerous lump of tissue 3) performed a brain biopsy for a brain tumor which led to swelling and death of your loved one 4) assisted in placing 100 Radioactive seeds into your husband’s prostate gland 5) gave “medicine” to a woman with Crohns disease that actually caused her to develop cancer 6) gave Phenobarbital to a child with Epilepsy even though I knew it was causing mental problems. I AM SORRY THAT I HELPED WITH ALL SIX OF THOSE PROCEDURES. Please understand, that is a list of only six procedures that I personally helped with – I “helped” my doctors to do many other things that I thought was right at the time, that I thought would help those people, but now, I am sorry that I did any of it and would not do it again.

Have you ever had to say that?” I’m sorry, I wont do it again” You see, I now must say that I know better. After years of studying the science within the cannabis plant, I now know that a possible curative agent was rarely even tried and the scientific community knew it all along. I have also come to the conclusion that they have not allowed cannabis to be used as medicine because it could turn their industry upside down and eliminate more than 50% of their profits, perhaps more. Certain Pharmaceutical companies might utterly collapse if people were to realize that they could grow many types of medicine and possibly even a cure for cancer in their own back yard. That is essentially what I am saying, but I am not the only one. If you are reading this and think I am completely wrong, I must ask you to search the internet for 6630507.

The original assignee of that patent is the United States Government. How can that be? Our government institutions like the FDA, DEA and the NIDA currently state that cannabis is a Schedule 1 drug with no known medicinal properties yet it holds a patent for cannabis to be used as medicine. It only makes sense if you look deeper and see why they might have done it – to protect certain industries and corporations over the welfare of us, the American people.

Lots of folks are going to tell me that cannabis can’t cure cancer. I believe they are wrong and it is our own government that has done everything in it’s power to keep that truth from us (Schedule 1 blocks research). Have you honestly examined why our own government would attempt to block legitimate scientific research of a plant? When I was growing up I remember watching a television commercial that went like this – “We must protect our environment because one day many new medicines might be discovered in our Rainforests”. It gave me hope that scientists were working to discover cures for diseases like cancer. Now I have to wonder if everyone leading our current “Medical System” has known better for years. They have been reluctant to change standard medical practices toward a natural remedy because it will damage their incomes.

Maya Angelou once said “Do the best you can until you know better, but when you know better, do better”. Now that I know better, I find that I could not in good conscience return to the hospital and assist with many of the things I used to do. Now, “I know better” and writing this Blog is my way of trying to do better. I want to educate patients to a possible alternative to assist in restoring their health. The use of cannabis may even be helpful in helping to maintain health. You are reading this, so you obviously have the entire Internet at your disposal. Today, I am happy to report that many people “know better”. Please learn for yourself, cannabis is medicine.

Thank you, and again I must say I am sorry that I didn’t know better. What I’ve learned about cannabis is not taught in Nursing schools or even Medical schools. When our own government tries to block us from knowledge that they already have patented, we must educate ourselves and each other and fight to “do better”. Please consider the following government patents as evidence that our government has “known better” for quite some time…

Compounds according to the present invention are characterized by various beneficial properties such as analgesic, anti-emetic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, anti-glaucoma, and neuroprotective activities

I have become a proud member of a national organization dedicated to seeking knowledge and helping patients to navigate the Medical Cannabis industry. Cannabis nursing is a new specialty area of the nursing profession and the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA) is working towards recognition by the American Nurses Association (ANA) which will allow credentialing in this specialty. ACNA has already taken an important step in the credentialing process by developing a Core Curriculum in Cannabis Nursing. As a member of the ACNA I will have the opportunity to educate a national audience about the the workings of our Endocannabinoid System and how cannabis can help many patients regain and maintain their health. We also seek to advocate for sensible drug policy. I would encourage you to join and support our efforts. Nurses are the most trusted professionals for many reasons. We are smart, caring and compassionate caregivers. Nurses have an opportunity to teach our patients and help to maximize the effectiveness of this safe medicine.

People are beginning to realize that the alcohol/liquor industries are spending millions of dollars to continue the Prohibition of a safer choice. They buy lobbying power to control and influence our politicians to vote down sensible reform of cannabis laws. They donate money to wrongheaded organizations like “SMART Approaches” or “Partnership for a Drug Free America”, but they do not want a drug free America at all. They only want us to be able to buy their brand of more harmful and dangerous drugs.

On 06/21/2016 I made the decision to quit drinking beer, wine or any alcoholic beverage out of protest. My boycott is a modest effort to bring about change, but I wonder what might happen if one million people who consume cannabis, or in my case, who are sympathetic to the cause actually stopped drinking. I am in effect saying to the beer and wine companies that if you treat me like an enemy, I can use my power to hurt you.

Would you consider taking a powerful action and do this too? I have immersed myself in a fight for what I believe in, for what is right. Please join me. When we legalize cannabis in the same way that alcohol is legal, I will gladly join you in raising a glass. Until then, no more money for you American Brands, Anheuser-Busch, etc. Our health might be better for this action too.

It is with life and death urgency that I am writing this second letter to request a meeting with the President of the United States Barak Obama. Our citizens, not drugs have been the focus of attack in the waging of the War on Drugs. They are being killed and their families are being destroyed by policies that punish by design. I implore you to imagine yourself and your family, Michelle and daughters, under attack by a government who refuses to see you as a human being. I am a Registered Nurse. Would you please give me even a moment of your time so that I might share with you my ideas of how we might address this Public Health issue in a peaceful manner. Together I believe we can begin healing our people and build a stronger Nation based on principles of compassion and dignity.

How can this be? Our Federal government insists that there are no known medical uses of this plant. Floridians will have the opportunity to vote Yes on Question 2 this November and allow cannabis to be used as a medicine. If it is approved, it will become another shining example of the how the will of the people is winning against the forces controlling our Federal government. People are beginning to understand that our government has lied to us about this plant for far too long. Schedule 1 was designed to limit it’s research and keep us from the truth. Have you ever wondered who is against the cannabis legalization movement?

If you look at who is spending the money to lobby and control members of our government to maintain the status quo “War on Drugs” it is easy to find the facts. You probably already know that Police Unions and Prison Guard Unions as well as For-Profit Prisons are spending millions to fight reform. They want to secure the steady flow of profits they make from prisoners and civil asset forfeiture money. Alcohol and drug companies spend millions too. They do not want a “drug free America”. They want us to only be able to use their brand of dangerous drugs. They are fighting to not allow Americans to have their right to make a safer choice and use cannabis as humans have safely done for thousands of years. One day, our rights will be restored, but it will not happen without a fight.

Profits might decrease in other industries from petroleum, drug use testing companies, plastics and food industries to name a few, but its hard to prove which industries and constituents the politicians are trying to protect. They do not seem to be primarily interested in protecting our interests (the people) or they would all speak out against the practice of harsh mandatory minimum sentencing, fines and felony convictions which have only served to weaken our citizens, our country and economy.

I’ve also wondered if certain companies actually do not want to find a cure for cancer in cannabis. Cancer treatment is a multi-billion dollar industry. They would lose money when people understand that their medicines are based on poisons, not a plant. People want safer, more effective drugs like the ones found in cannabis. One day, folks will look back on these Prohibition times in the same way that we do when we think of alcohol prohibition – it caused more harm than good. But in this case it is worse. What these groups have done is actually a crime against humanity.

Thank you for writing. The Obama Administration is committed to developing policies based on science and research, and the Federal Government has been funding and reviewing studies to better understand marijuana’s effects on individuals, public health, and safety.

This Administration opposes marijuana legalization, and our policy approach focuses on improving public health and safety through prevention, treatment, support for recovery, and innovative criminal justice strategies to break the cycle of drug use and crime. A considerable body of evidence shows that marijuana use, especially chronic use that begins at a young age, is associated with serious health and social problems. Studies also reveal that marijuana potency has tripled since 1990, raising serious public health concerns.

At the same time, we share public concerns about ensuring limited Federal enforcement resources are dedicated to pursuing our highest enforcement priorities, such as preventing the distribution of marijuana to minors, preventing the sale of marijuana by criminal enterprises and gangs, preventing violence and the use of firearms in the cultivation and distribution of marijuana, and preventing drugged driving and other adverse public health consequences. We will also closely monitor implementation of marijuana legalization in individual States and prevent the diversion of marijuana to States that have not legalized its use, sale, or distribution. Outside of its highest enforcement priorities, the Federal Government has traditionally relied on State and local agencies to address marijuana activity through enforcement of their own narcotics laws.

Like many people, we are also interested in the potential marijuana components may have in providing relief to individuals diagnosed with certain serious illnesses. That is why we support ongoing research into evaluating what components of the marijuana plant may be used as medicine. To date, though, neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the modern standard for safe or effective medicine for any condition.

Thank you for making your voice heard. You can learn more about the President’s approach to drug control at www.WhiteHouse.gov/ONDCP.

Sincerely,

The White House

In short the War is on and prohibition of a safer choice continues. (My letter was about the unintended consequences of the war on drugs and how it has hurt people rather than help them and made our country weaker not stronger. The White House plan continues the status quo and their science is just plain wrong. I stand by the claim made in my book. If there really is a War on Drugs, then President Obama is a War Criminal. He has said “I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol”, yet our Federal policy remains unchanged and the hurtful war on drugs (war on people) continues on and on.)

I’m a good citizen. I think I am a good person. I’m probably the kind of person you’d want living in your community or right next door. I am always looking for ways to be a good neighbor to help anyone and everyone around me. I am a responsible adult who pays taxes and I have never been convicted of any crime. I follow almost every law that our lawmakers have put forth, except one. I have on occasion used a substance safer than alcohol – cannabis (I don’t call it marijuana anymore).

If my use of cannabis had ever been discovered, I might have been given a hefty fine, a prison sentence and a felony conviction. Do you think that punishment fits my crime? Do you think I am a bad person? Do you honestly think that taking away all my money and sending me to jail for years would make me into a better person? With a felony conviction I’m certain that the execution of this wrongheaded law would make me into a weaker individual since I would not be as able to provide for myself and my family. Also, how does my suffering help make my community stronger or better? I want to speak to President Obama about this.

When the plane touched down in Denver on 4/20/2016 the pilot announced “Happy 420 Everybody” and the passengers cheered. Everyone on board was in a festive mood because they knew we had just landed in a Free State. After a five-day visit there my impression is that Colorado got it Right! Denver was one of the cleanest cities I have ever visited, lots of fresh air, people were responsible, and no sirens were heard all week. The town was beautiful and absolutely normal. I kept looking around trying to figure out what was different about this place, families took their children to restaurants, kids played in the park, cars drove on the same side of the street as we did back home. So far as I could tell the only difference is they stopped arresting people for using cannabis, a substance safer than alcohol.

Maryland was once known as the Free State for opposing prohibition of alcohol, but today the continued prohibition of drugs has led to too many citizens being jailed rather than being free. Did you know that on that single day known as 420 there was 37.5 million dollars spent on legal cannabis across the country? I can’t help but wonder how much money was collected by the black market in the state of Maryland on that day. All that money went to support the drug cartels rather than support our communities. My personal goal is to help end prohibition of all drugs. One day my home state of Maryland will stop jailing people for the use of cannabis, tax the legal sale of it and use the money for public good. Then perhaps we can call ourselves the Free State again.

I am a Registered Nurse calling for the end of the drug war. I am asking to meet with President Obama. Baltimore is my home town and I worked for 26 years at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Over the last several years I have observed the failing health of Baltimore, which has suffered greatly due to the unintended consequences of the war on drugs. The Freddie Gray case is one glaring example of my home towns’ poor health. We are hurting people rather than helping them.

I understand that our president is in favor of moving away from a system of incarceration to deal with the problems that drugs can sometimes cause. I must strongly disagree with the current drug policy which states that the legalization of drugs runs counter to our public health and safety. I believe that we must legalize cannabis at the federal level right away to begin moving our nation toward a public health model.

My values for safety and the welfare of everyone have guided me toward a path of promoting the caring about people, not punishing them. I share your love of this country. If I was not certain that legalizing cannabis would make our people healthier and our nation stronger, I would not be pleading for even a few moments of your time. When we the people control, tax and regulate the sale of cannabis, we will finally have the resources to educate, keep it away from children and give effective treatment to those who need it. We can turn our country toward a positive direction.

I look forward to sharing my ideas on how we can teach people healthy behaviors so that drug use might decrease across the globe. Our future can and will be brighter when we actually create jobs for people instead of creating an unhealthy world of stiff fines, jail sentences and felony convictions that make people under-employable. Productive people who live in safe communities, have meaningful work and a living wage do not suffer the same risks for drug abuse. They can move beyond drugs when we create a healthier world for everyone to live in.

I am asking for ten minutes of your attention. In that brief amount of time, I am hoping that my urgency and sincerity will move you to begin a new way of caring for all people, our families, our country. My book is a call to unite nurses to action. It can be viewed at www.nursecallsforendofdrugwar.com